How much is the Belmont Stakes payout? Winning horse prize money

The Belmont Stakes is finally here and the title of champion is not the only thing on offer for the top eight finishers in the 10-horse race: the final leg of the Triple Crown at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs also hands out a multi-million-dollar prize purse.

How much money does the winner of the Belmont Stakes get?

This year’s Belmont Stakes features a whopping $2 million purse, an increase from $1.5 million in 2023. Last year’s champion, Arcangelo, received $800,000 for first place, while this year’s winning prize has gone past the $1 million mark.

As for those who don’t come first, there’s quite the drop off in terms of cash: given the fact that first-place is $1.2 million - more than half of the total purse - a second-place finish comes with a $360,000 prize.

Full screen

Who gets the prize money in horse racing: the jockey or the horse owner?

Of course, the numbers vary depending on the race, the country and all that good stuff. However, as far as things go in the Belmont Stakes, the winning horse’s owner will get 80% of the prize money while the jockey and trainer take home a 10% share each.

Which race has more prize money: the Belmont Stakes or the Kentucky Derby?

Sorry, Belmont fans, but the Kentucky Derby blows everything else out of the water. Last month saw a record $5 million purse split among the top five finishers at the Derby, with Mystik Dan’s photo finish bagging a huge $3.1 million prize.

If we take the Preakness Stakes into the equation, the numbers match up at around the same level as the Belmont Stakes. For example, the prize purse was the same amount ($2 million) and first-place pocketed a tidy $1.2 million. However, only the top five finishers in the eight-horse Preakness Stakes were in with a shout of making a profit.

The 156th Belmont Stakes runs Saturday, June 8, 2024, and post time is 6:41 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on Fox, Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2.